One if by land

Derek Larson

10/19/2005

Just days after facing the most potent passing attack
in the nation, the Wildcats find themselves preparing
for a much more balanced offense, centered on
dual-threat quarterback Reggie McNeal. Bill Snyder
and players spoke on how preparations are going.

Surely the game after facing the top offense in the
nation should seem like a breather for a defense,
right? Not when the next game is against a team that
put up 62 points the previous week. The Texas A&M
Aggies enter Manhattan with a little momentum and a
lot of talent at the quarterback position.

"They offer some things we haven't seen in the past
weeks. They have an excellent balanced offense." How
balanced is the A&M offense? The unit, which is third
in the Big 12 in scoring, is second in the Big 12 in
rushing, at over 238 yards per game, and also second
in the Big 12 in passing, at over 252 yards per game.
McNeal is currently fifth in individual rushing in the
league, and second in the league in total offense.

McNeal will be a key focus for the Wildcat defense,
which has yet to face a true dual-threat quarterback
this season. "Reggie McNeal is a very talented young
guy," Snyder said. "He presents some problems with
the pass, but he also presents some problems with the
option and the quarterback run game." McNeal is
currently averaging 84 rushing yards per game, behind
only Missouri's Brad Smith quarterbacks in the nation.

A staple in the Aggies' offense is the option, and,
accordingly, Snyder said maintaining option
responsibilities would be key. "If you focus all your
attention on (McNeal), he hands it or pitches it to
somebody else, and they can beat you that way."

Snyder also expressed concern in McNeal's ability to
scramble on passing plays. "You've got to keep him in
the pocket," Snyder said. "Then you have to have
enough pass rush that he doesn't have a day-and-a-half
to throw."

McNeal is coming off a week in which he compiled 413
yards of total offense, including 150 yards on the
ground. "We got to be able to control his ability to
get out of the pocket and throw the football," Snyder
said. The Wildcats pass rush, which has totaled ten
sacks on the season, will need to step up to contain
McNeal. Snyder said the team has struggled when
rushing just the four down-linemen, but has done
considerably better when blitzing one or two players.

Even with a strong pass rush, the defenders making it
into the opposing backfield will have to take a
different approach. With the pass-happy Texas Tech
offense, it was all about getting to the quarterback
and disrupting throws. With A&M, the players realized
things would be a little different. "With Reggie
McNeal you can't really go and attack him, because he
has serious moves," senior defensive tackle Quentin
Echols said.

"He's a very, very good quarterback," safety Marcus Watts said. "He can throw a good ball. He's
elusive." Watts said the Wildcats were fortunate to
face two quarterbacks with similar skills, Allan Evridge and Allen Webb, in spring practices and
two-a-days. "It's going to be a difficult challenge,
but at least we've seen athletes like Reggie McNeal."

What will be the key for the Wildcats' defense in
facing yet another high-powered offense? Watts said
the Wildcats can't afford to let their mistakes from
the Texas Tech loss carry over. "We've got to get
(the mistakes) corrected, and not let them continue to
affect us, like they have been doing all year," Watts
said.